Media portrayals of climate advocates to be explored

Are certain groups overrepresented among those advocating climate action in the media? And does the impact of a climate message vary depending on whether the messenger and recipient belong to the same demographic group? These are the main questions in the project ‘Climate Advocates’ Media Portrayals’.

‘We want to investigate how media shapes our perceptions of which social groups are associated with fighting climate change and which are not,’ explains Clara Vandeweerdt, Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science and SODAS.

In the project, the researchers will use AI to analyse large amounts of media content from the US, UK and Germany. Data on the gender, age, race and social background of people appearing in stories about climate change will be collected.

‘We will identify climate activists and assess who they are, their demographic background. In addition, we will conduct experiments to investigate whether people are more likely to be influenced by messages from people similar to themselves,’ says Clara Vandeweerdt.

Can lead to stronger climate communication

The results of the project can help media, politicians and NGOs promote climate goals by revealing whether or not it is important for them to put forward a diverse group of advocates.

‘The project can also contribute to a better understanding of why some social groups are more engaged in the fight against climate change than others – which can support more effective climate change communication,’ predicts Clara Vandeweerdt.

Clara Vandeweerdt is leading the project with support from a postdoc. The project runs from May 2025 to April 2028 and will involve collaboration with leading researchers in climate attitudes and media representation.

Independent Research Fund Denmark supports ‘Climate Advocates’ Media Portrayals’ with DKK 3.2 million.